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Adopted NAPs

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Länder, die bereits einen NAP verabschiedet haben, sind grün unterlegt.

Currently 27 countries have adopted a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights1. In 2013 the United Kingdom became the first country to adopt an NAP; the Netherlands followed in the same year. In the years after that, there was a significant increase in announcements, with seven action plans adopted in 2017 alone.

Most recently Uganda introduced a National Action Plan in 2021. Countries that have adopted NAPs are notable in terms of their economies, accounting for more than 45% of global gross domestic product (GDP) and over 43% of all global imports2. Those companies and countries that actively participate in and benefit from world trade are exactly the ones that bear a special responsibility for implementing the UN Guiding Principles.

The European Union has so far established measures in various policy frameworks to implement the UN Guiding Principles, including the EU Action Plan for Human Rights and Democracy and the European Consensus on Development.

These countries have already brought out a NAP:

Belgium

Start of the process:
2014
Link to the original document:
Plan d’action national Entreprises et Droits de l’Homme
Year adopted:
2017

Chile

Start of the process:
2015
Link to the original document:
National action plan on business and human rights Chile
Year adopted:
2017

Denmark

Start of the process:
2012
Link to the original document:
Danish National Action Plan
Year adopted:
2014

Germany

Start of the process:
2014
Link to the original document:
Nationaler Aktionsplan – Umsetzung der VN-Leitprinzipien für Wirtschaft und Menschenrechte
Year adopted:
2016

Finland

Start of the process:
2013
Link to the original document:
National Action Plan for the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
Year adopted:
2014

France

Georgia

Start of the process:
2013
Link to the original document:
Action Plan of the Government of Georgia on the Protection of Human Rights
Year adopted:
20143

United Kingdom

Start of the process:
2012
Link to the original document:
Good Business – Implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
Year adopted:
2013

Ireland

Start of the process:
2014
Link to the original document:
National plan on business and human rights
Year adopted:
2017

Italy

Start of the process:
2015
Link to the original document:
Italian National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights
Year adopted:
2016

Colombia

Start of the process:
2011
Link to the original document:
Plan de Accion de Derechos Humanos y Empresa
Year adopted:
2015

Japan

Start of the process:
2018
Link to the original document:
Japan - National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights
Year adopted:
2020

Kenya

Start of the process:
2016
Link to the original document:
Republic of Kenya - National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights
Year adopted:
2019

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Start of the process:
2017
Link to the original document:
Plan d’action national du Luxembourg
Year adopted:
2018

Netherlands

Start of the process:
2012
Link to the original document:
National Action Plan on Human Rights
Year adopted:
2013

Norway

Start of the process:
2013
Link to the original document:
National Action Plan for the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles
Year adopted:
2015

Poland

Sweden

Start of the process:
2013
Link to the original document:
Action plan for business and human rights
Link to the follow up report:
Follow-up of Sweden’s action plan for business and human rights
Year adopted:
2015

Switzerland

Slovenia

Start of the process:
2017
Link to the original document:
National Action Plan of the Republic of Slovenia on Business and Human Rights
Year adopted:
2018

Spain

Start of the process:
2013
Link to the original document:
Plan de accion nacional de empresas y derechos humanos
Year adopted:
2017

Republic of Korea

Start of the process:
2016
Link to the original document:
The 3rd National Action Plan (NAP) for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights Republic of Korea 2018 to 2022 (unofficial extract)
Year adopted:
20184

Czech Republic

Start of the process:
2015
Link to the original document:
National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights
Year adopted:
2017

Thailand

Start of the process:
2016
Link to original document:
still unpublished
Year adopted:
2019

Uganda

Start of the process:
2016
Link to original document:
NAP Uganda
Year adopted:
2021

USA

Start of the process:
2014
Link to the original document:
United States Government National Action Plan on Responsible Business Conduct
Year adopted:
2016

Currently, 32 countries are developing a NAPs on business and human rights.

The start of the process was set according to when the preparation of the NAP started. This includes relevant consultations/conferences or decisions before the first draft NAP was prepared. Official announcements and declarations of intent by governments that are not legally binding do not usually represent the starting point of the process. The periods and information given here refer to the first publication of a NAP in order to make comparisons between countries possible. In some countries the development of follow-up NAPs has already begun and newer versions of NAPs have been published.

cf. The Danish Institute For Human Rights, National action plans on business and human rights: An analysis of plans from 2013-2018, online.

This country has a National Action Plan on Human Rights; the subject of business and human rights is dealt with in one of the chapters.

This country has a National Action Plan for Human Rights; the issue of business and human rights is dealt with in one of the chapters.

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